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Muslim women breaking stereotypes

On a daily basis, countless stereotypes about Muslim women are circulated on and offline. Richard Dawkins, the famous evolutionary biologist and prominent atheist, recently tweeted: “Islam needs a feminist revolution. It will be hard. What can we do to help?” Angered by Dawkins’ comments, many Muslim women responded.

However, Dawkins’ comment is, perhaps, proof of a larger problem: How much does the world really know about the diversity in the lives and views of Muslim women? What Dawkins said is not far from the way Muslim women are repeatedly portrayed by the mass media. Many argue that the focus is too often is on stories of Muslim women being victimised instead of being empowered, or how they look instead of how they think.

Activists say that painting the state of Muslim women with a broad brush, as Dawkins did, misses the details and prevents the emergence of the diversity among Muslim women who range in opinions, appearance, professions, cultures, languages, and much more.

So in this episode, we speak to a number of Muslim women from different parts of the world, who, through the work they do, are breaking stereotypes and challenging the status quo. Join our conversation at 19:30 GMT.

Muslim women breaking stereotypes

The work of women who are challenging the status quo to reinforce gender equality and justice.

The veil-wearing woman tends to be the predominant image associated with Muslim women in mainstream media. Yet, this prevailing image conceals the rich and diverse community of Muslim women from across the globe.

Muslim women, ranging from peace activists to comics, are pushing back against these stereotypes and promoting their own identities.

Alaa Murabit, founder of The Voice of Libyan Women, moved back to her hometown in Libya as a teenager after spending the majority of her childhood in Canada. In 2011, while Murabit was attending medical school, the Libyan revolution broke out. Murabit witnessed the importance of women taking on a leading role in the movement, but was disappointed when she saw that role diminish when the revolution was over. In a TED talk, Murabit speaks about her experience in advocating for greater women’s rights in Libya.

What Islam Really Says About Women | Alaa Murabit | TED TalksTED

Sakdiyah Ma’ruf is smashing stereotypes about Muslim women in a different way. As the first Indonesian Muslim female stand-up comic, Mar’uf uses humor and sarcasm to break the silence on taboo topics such as sex and religion.

Young Muslim comic takes on fundamentalistsMoralCourageChannel

Edina Lekovic is using her platform at the first Women's Mosque of America to help dispel stereotypes of Muslim women in the US. With blond hair and blue eyes, Lekovic is often mistaken as a Muslim convert even though was raised Muslim. Here's Edina delivering the first sermon for the Women's Mosque of America:

Edina Lekovic KhutbahWomens Mosque of America

Muslim women competing in sports are not images the Western media shares very often, but Ibtihaj Muhammad has changed that. The 29-year-old fencing world champion hopes to become the first Muslim American to compete in a hijab at the 2016 Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro. Her motivation not only derives from her passion for the sport, but also her desire to inspire black and Muslim youth to take up sports.

A Fencing Masterclass with Ibtihaj MuhammadUSEmbassyLondon

Of course, there are countless Muslim women activists working in different fields and in different parts of the world. We asked our community which activists they wished to see on our show and which ones inspire them. These were some of their suggestions: